Poultry feeding apparatus



c. H. lNMAN POULTRY FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Nov. :5, 1949 Sept. 12,1950

Patented Sept. 12, 1950 I I 2,522,449, 1- 'BOULTIHE FEEDTNG'APPARATUSGlark- H. Inman, Lakewood, N. J. Application November 3, isiaserial No.125,308

The invention n-r-elatesto I 'feeding apparatus. for poultry T and thelike, and hasfor its principal object-to provide apower driven apparatussuitable 'for distributing-largequantities of feed on commercial poultryfarms where thousands of fowl s must' -be ied each day. With the aboveand -other objects in view which willappear as the -descriptionproceeds;the invention resides in the novel details ofconstruction andcombinations and arrangements of parts more fully hereinafterdescribedand particularly pointed outin' theappended claims;

Brieflystated, the apparatus comprises an elongated feed receptaclesupported upon asuitable framework and of a length-appropriate to anyparticular installation f'or which it is intended At one. end of thereceptacle there is provided a hopper to which the feed may be suppliedinbulk, and extending: from the .discharge portof said hopper to theother'end of the-receptacle, above the longitudinalcenter line of thelatter, there is a: power drivenhorizontal endless conveyer ofthe flightor scraper type: This: conveyer: is considerably narrower than :the"receptacle andbeneath-its lower run. apair; of transversely spaced wallsdepend into therecep tacleto provide athroatextending throughout thelength of the latter through which the feed moved from the hopper bytheconveyer issupplied to the receptacle; The throat walls terminate' somedistance above the bottom: of the receptac1e,.whereby: the feed mayspread: over said bottom to either side of the throat. and the saidwallsmay be providedwith vertically adjustable extensions whereby thedistance betweenithe. receptacle. bottom and: the throat walls may bevaried tocontrol the amount of feed dischargedttothe-receptacle.

At" theend of the'receptacle opposite that at which the supplyhopper islocated, there isprovided a power driven vertical conveyer orelevatorwhich isiadapted'to elevate any surplus feed: sup:plied'to:thereceptacleby the horizontallconveyer and discharge such:surplus into a chute or conduit for return to the upper run of thehorizontal conveyer whereby it" may be returned' t'o thehop'p'er endoftherreceptaclefor redistributions "I he ihorizontal' conveyer and thevertical elevator/maybe driven fromany' suitable source of power, forexample an electric motor or" an internal; combustion engine; 7

In the accompanying drawing forming. a part of this specification-Figure 1; is acentral longitudinal sectional view partly brolrenrawayeota typicalapparatus 6 Claims-L (Cl. 1'19:-51=) 2 constructed andarranged-inaccordancewith'the invention; and Fig. 2 is a cross sectionalviewthereof, onthe plane indicatedby the line 2-'2 inFig;. 'lilooking inthedirection ofthe arrows.

In-the said drawing the apparatus is-show'nas comprisinganelongatedreceptacle' supportedi by a framework consistingof uprightsB" and transverse horizontal members I: The bottom- 8 of. the saidreceptacle is preferably crowned or ofslightly inverted '-V'-sha1 )eincross section to facilitate spreading ofthe feed toward eachsidewall fl;as will appearmore "fully-below; Supported by the transverse framemembers-T lip-superposed relationto' the longitudinal median portion-oithe receptacle- 5f is an elongated hous-- ing I0; at the lefthand end ofwhich (as viewed in Fig. 1) there is mountedasupply hopperfl l lhavingadischarge port I2-controlled bya ver tically slidable valve plate l3-which =may be manually adjusted by a-rodl4. Mounted within the housingIll is-an endless conveyer com prising an endless strand of chain l6carrying transverse fii'ghts I1 and trained about sprockets [Band [9carried by: shaftsand 2 I journaled inbearings 22:' adjacent therespective ends of the housing. The shaft 2| carries a pulley: 23' (Fig.zliengagedbya belt-zll which may be driven from any appropriatesource ofpower, such as an'electric motor or an internal combustion englue. Thelower portion of thelio'using In is providedwith inwardly. extendingtransversely spaced flanges 25 constituting trackwaysorsupports for theend portions of the I flights: I 1 throughout the lower run=of theconveyer l5 between the sprockets |8 and I9, and theupper run of theconveyer is supported by a horizontalpartition structurev 26.

Secured to and extending downwardly from each or? the .flanges: 25=is aplate member 2-1, constituting the side wall of a throat 28 to which thefeed is supplied by the lower run of the conveyer [5. The plates 21extend throughout the length of the receptacle 5 and depend into thelongitudinal medial portion thereof, terminating some distance above itsbottom 8 to provide discharge apertures 29, the width of which may bevaried by vertically adjustable extension plates 30-secured to theplates 21 bybolt-and-slot connections 3|. Y

The operation of the apparatus as thus far describedwill be readilyunderstood. With feed having been supplied to the hopper H and theconveyer l5 set into motion in. the direction indicated by the arrows,upon. opening of the v valve I3 the feed will discharge through port l2to the left hand end of the conveyer. The flights ll of the latter willpush successive portions of the feed to the left hand end of the throat28, through which the feed will fall by gravity to the floor 8 of thereceptacle 5, spreading out in opposite lateral directions throughapertures 29 to cover the said floor. The depth to which the feed willcover the floor may be regulated by adjustment of the extension plates30 on the throat walls 21, and when this depth has been reached the feedwill back up in the throat 28 to the top thereof. This operationcontinues until the feed has been distributed throughout the length ofthe receptacle and the throat has been completely filled. The drivingmotor preferably is stopped whe filling of the throat is completed.However, mechanism is provided whereby, if for any reason the attendantfails to stop th motor at such time, excess feed will be returned to thesupply end of the apparatus. This mechanismcomprises a vertical conveyeror elevator 30 mounted adjacent the right hand end of the receptacleb,with its boot 3| arranged to receive the surplus feed from the conveyerI5. This elevator maybe of any appropriate type, being here shown ascomprising an endless chain or belt 32 carrying a series of buckets 33and trained about head and tail sprockets 34 and 35 mounted on shafts 36and 3! respectively. This mechanism is enclosed by a casing 39' from theupper portion of which an inclined chute or conduit 40 leads downwardlyinto the upper portion of the horizontal conveyer housing I0. may bedriven by a belt H trained about a pulley 42 carried by said shaft, anda pulley 43 carried by the shaft 2i of conveyer l5.

It will be readily understood that any surplus, feed carried rightwardafter the throat. 28 has been filled will be discharged into the boot 3|of the elevator 30 where it will be picked up by the buckets 33 thereofand raised to the top of the elevator. As the buckets pass around thehead sprocket 34 they will discharge their loads into the conduit 40through which the feed will pass by gravity into the upper portion ofthe conveyer housing 10.! Here it will be picked up by the upper,leftward traveling run of conveyer I5 and returned to the supply end ofthe apparatus for redistribution.

As the feed on the floor 8 is removed by the fowls, that in the throat28 will move downwardly to take its place, thus maintaining asubstantially uniform layer upon the receptacle floor until the chargeis exhausted. The throat thus acts. as a feed reservoir which materiallyincreases the time before a re-filling operation is needed andconsequentlyreduces the attention required to maintain a constant supplyof feed for the fowls.

What is claimed is: V

1. In apparatus for feeding poultry and the like, the combination ofelongated feed receptacle; transversely spaced wall members disposed inand extending longitudinally of said receptacle in verticallyspacedrelation to its floor to provide a relatively narrow verticalthroat extending throughout the length of the receptacle; power drivenconveyer means mounted above the receptacle and traversablelongitudinally thereof in proximity to the upper portion of said throat;and means for supplying feed to said conveyer means, for movementthereby into said throat and rec ptacle.

The head shaft 36 of the elevator 2. In apparatus for feeding poultryand the like, the combination of an elongated feed receptacle; a pair oftransversely spaced vertical wall members disposed in and extending fromend to end of the receptacle adjacent its longitudinal center line, saidwall members being vertically spaced from the floor of the receptacleand providing a relatively narrow throat above the longitudinal medialportion of said floor; adjustable means for varying the distance betweensaid floor and the lower edges of said wall'm'embers, whereby to controldischarge of feed from said throat to the receptacle floor; an endlessconveyer mounted above the receptacle and having a run traversablelongitudinally thereof in proximity to the upper portion of said throat;and a hopper arranged to supply feed to one end of said conveyer formovement thereby into said throat and receptacle.

3. In apparatus for feeding poultry and the like, the combination of anelongated feed receptacle having a transversely sloping floor; a pair oftransversely spaced vertical wall members disposed in and extendinglongitudinally of the receptacle in vertically spaced relation to saidfloor. and providing a relatively narrow throat above the highestportion thereof; vertically adjustable extensions carried by said wallmembers forvarying the distance between the floor and the lower edges ofthe wall members, whereby to control discharge of feed. from said throatto the receptacle floor; power driven conveyer means mounted formovement along the upper portion of. said throat; and a hopper arrangedto supply feed to said conveyer means for movement thereby.

into said throat and receptacle.

4. In apparatus for feeding poultry andithe like, the combination of anelongated feed re-v ceptacle having a floor sloping transversely inopposite directions from a, longitudinal center line; a pair oftransversely spaced vertical wall members disposed in and extendinglongitudinally of the receptacle in vertically spaced relation to thelongitudinal medial portion thereof to provide a relatively narrowthroat above the highest portion of the floor; an endless conveyermounted above the receptacle, having a horizontal run traversablelongitudinally thereof in proximity to the upper portion of said throat;and a hopper having a control valve, arranged to supply feed to one endof said conveyer for movement thereby into said throat, and receptacle.I I

5. In apparatus for feeding poultry and the like, the combination of anelongated feed receptacle; transversely. spaced wall members disposed inand extending longitudinally of the receptacle in vertically spacedrelationto the, floor thereof to provide a relatively narrow verticalthroat above said floor; power driven conveyer means movable inproximity to the upper portion of said throat; means at one end of thereceptacle for supplyingfeed to said conveyer means for movement therebyinto said throat and receptacle; and a power driven elevating conveyerat the other end of said receptacle arranged to receive surplus feedsupplied to the receptacle by the first mentioned conveyer meansandreturn it thereto for redistribution to the throat and receptacle.

6. In apparatus for feedingpoultry and the like, the combination ofanelongated feed'receptacle; transversely spacedwall members extendinglongitudinally of the receptacle in vertically spaced relation to thefloor thereof to provide a relatively narrow vertical throat extendingfrom end to end of the receptacle above said floor; a horizontal endlessconveyer mounted abcvethe receptacle and having its lower runtraversable longitudinally thereof along the upper portion of saidthroat; means at one end of the receptacle for supplying feed to saidconveyer for movement by said run into the throat and receptacle; anelevating conveyer at the other end of the receptacle for receiving andelevating surplus feed supplied thereto by said horizontal conveyer; anda conduit for returning the elevated surplus feed to the return run ofthe horizontal conveyer for redistribution to the throat and receptacle.

CLARK H. INMAN.

No references cited.

